


That's Rough Buddy

by JoyouslyNeonLeon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk and Keith are buds, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Pidge | Katie Holt Being a Little Shit, Pining Shiro (Voltron), Shiro has a crush, WE need a beach episode stat, because I have no impulse control, give love a shance, this is the obligatory beach fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 16:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8109046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoyouslyNeonLeon/pseuds/JoyouslyNeonLeon
Summary: “Oh uh…okay...” Lance says, “what's his problem?”Pidge shrugs, grinning from ear to ear, “no idea man.”------In which Shiro has a crush, Lance is (mostly) oblivious, Pidge is planning something, Keith and Hunk are buds and I get my much desired beach fic.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I typed this on my phone at three am, and I'm posting it now to avoid doing more poetry and prose. Someone help me, I'm avoiding reading sonnets and Plato for this mess, someone make me get my life together and priorities straight.

Shiro swears that he doesn’t _want_ to make watching Lance a thing, he swears it on his life and all the stars in the known universe, that he doesn’t start watching every expression on Lance’s face as though he’s a dying man in search of water.

He _swears._

But goddamn him when he catches a glimpse of that _smile_ , the way it stretches across Lance’s face when he pops out of the ocean, inky dark red liquid spraying everywhere and darkening his hair,  running down his tan cheeks in rivers, eyelashes clumped together, shoulders still submerged in the ocean. It’s like it was _destined_ to torture anyone that was watching too closely, makes Shiro feel like his chest is two sizes too small for his heart, even when he's on the shore, dozens of yards of sand and surf between them.

Even from this distance, the way the sunset frames Lance’s head is like a halo, blues, greens and pinks making the water around the tan boy glow an eerie but _gorgeous_ blood color.

Evonos Ocean, as the locals called it, was the main source of livelihood on the tiny dwarf planet, the organisms (not quite _fish_ ) harmless and docile enough that one could pluck one right from the water. The waves are more like a gentle sway than the crashing ones back on Earth, though just as foamy and fluid. The rolling white sands drifted far behind them, stretching up to the coastal city before stopping just at the thick red jungle overhung with bright fruits and even brighter ‘birds’.

As Lance had put it, this place was space paradise.

Everything is beautiful, from the people (tall like reeds and who resembled extremely colorful lizards), to the land, ocean, and even the _food_. He had never been more ecstatic about (not quite) fish in his life, so tired of fluorescent green space goo as he was, Shiro had to agree, this place _is_ perfect.

The ‘Evos,’ Lance's clever name for them, threw a celebration in honor of their victory, over the small Galran force that had taken up refuge just beyond the edge of the village. However, it was obvious that they were most grateful to the _blue_ paladin. Lance had gone into the camp undetected with just the bare minimum of a plan thrown together and had “absolutely ‘REKT’ those fools.”

His wording, not Shiro’s.

To the mild surprise of most of the Paladins, but not their leader, the exuberant young man not only wiped out an entire wing of the jungle entrenched encampment, but he also saved thirty two captives without a hitch. Lance was quite _literally_ the hero of the day, so much so that even though he was eager to go back to help the others, he stayed to make sure that each Evo found their way to the secure path leading back to the village.

It absolutely warmed the black paladin’s heart when he heard over comms an Evos thanking the younger man as he tried desperately to play it off. Prideful as Lance is, direct praise makes him cutely flustered, something Shiro noted way back in the early stages of their budding friendship, when Shiro had clapped him on the shoulder and praise him, Lance turned brighter than a red sun.

Which is why Shiro _has_ to refrain from watching him, and waxing poetic about his appearance, while good in his head, was much better there, _in his head_. Telling Lance that he looks absolutely gorgeous against the stained glass water of the ocean would either break the poor guy’s brain, or give him an inflated ego. But _God help him,_ that wouldn't stop Shiro from thinking about kissing away the stray drops of liquid that undoubtedly clung to his tan cheeks and dusky brown lips.

Shiro's starting to feel a bit hot under the collar, which is funny seeing as he's not even wearing a collar. In fact, Evonos is so hot and humid that one could go without a shirt all day and still feel overdressed.  But, considering he hasn't really done much _besides_ sit dumbly in the sand and stare at his friend, Shiro really doesn't have much of an excuse for overheating...well besides the weather.

Pidge clears her throat in an obvious attempt to get his attention and it is probably the most awkward thing in this entire situation, which she is _clearly_ aware of _._ To be entirely fair, the Holt’s were all insanely observant and smart _,_ and Pidge is so much like her brother it’s almost eerie. So in all fairness, he has a right to be skeptical of this look in her eye. Ever since that first time Shiro had to stutter out an excuse after Lance came back from a mission sopping wet, clothes clinging in all the wrong ( _right_ ) places, she'd been squinting at him and menacingly adjusting her glasses. It isn't new, but the smile she always gives him when Lance was around is two shades south of friendly and more devious than he likes.

Pidge is ruthless as always, tapping away at her computer, grin growing as her keys light under her dancing fingers, though she's not even looking at them, instead her eyes are solely fixed on Shiro, smug.

“You're completely hopeless,” she’s said this before, enough times that he’s lost count, but she adjusts her crown of green local alien flowers with the flick of a finger and continues right on staring, “just tell him how you feel. It's not like he'd say no.”

Shiro hunches down, shoulders folding in as if to make himself smaller, feeling all the world like a child as his own deep purple flower crown slants over one of his eyes, “I'm his superior.” He groans, “Its abuse of power, he'd say yes regardless just to save face.”

“Save _what_ face?” she snorts, hand gesturing out to how Lance had just challenged Keith and hunk to a game of chicken ( _how_ they’d play, Siro has no clue, but they’ll find a way he’s sure) “The heart eyes that he makes at the back of your head? I doubt he'd care much, that boy is shameless.”

“I…he’s...” Shiro says, straightening back up, eyes easily gliding over the beach to where Lance, Hunk and Keith were shoving each other into waves in some competition, “he'd be better off with someone else...someone smart! And kind and and…” he breaks off, Keith just dumped a handful of water on Lance's head, making his hair get into his eyes.

“And funny...” he sighs, jerking back to reality as Pidge’s exhalation cuts through Lance’s laughter. The amused look that she's sporting is the only indication that he's about to regret not denying his ‘crush’.

“Hey Lance!” She calls, startling him by the sheer volume of it, her voice carrying out across the sand and water to the loud boy, who is somehow now balanced precariously on his friend’s shoulders fending off the large waves that Keith is making. Hunk looks up and happily waves at them, before he and Keith share a look as Hunk dumps his friend off his back. Lance comes up sputtering, making some crude gestures to Hunk and Keith as they high five each other.

“What Pidgey?” He shouts, hands cupped around his mouth as Keith attempts to wrestle Hunk into the water next.

“Come look at this new schematic I have for Blue!” Comes her reply, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Lance is moving without so much as a second thought, bounding through the waves and sluggishly kicking red spray into the air as he makes his way ashore, picking up his absurdly large circlet of foliage out the sand as he goes.

The casual way Lance places the blue vined beauty on his head makes Shiro decide to break out his dad voice before he gets caught up in the _contrast_ of the blue against Lance’s red stained skin.

“ _Pidge,”_ he stage whispers, quirking his eyebrows and crossing his arms menacingly. “what are you doi--” only to deflate, dumbly staring at Pidge as Lance comes to stand between the two lean body catching the red liquid as it slides over jutting hips and thin collarbones.

“What? What?” Lance snarks, dark eyebrows furrowing on his face as cobalt vines swing between his dark blue eyes. _Maybe,_ if Shiro focuses between Lance’s eyes instead of the place where his board shorts sag just enough due to water weight, he’ll be fine.

“Shouldn't you be relaxing or something?” Lance shakes the water from his face, then runs his hands through his dripping hair and making it slick and stick up in random spots. Shiro gets a good idea of what the blue paladin would look like if someone ran their hands through the dark strands _particularly well,_ “This is a vacation Pidge, not a science fair study group.”

Shiro has to agree, but only because Lance made a valid point, and because they really _should_ be relaxing, enjoying the sunset and the atmosphere, not tormenting him. Not that he _can_ relax, seeing as he's at the perfect height to lick the red drips caught on the delicate curve of the tan boy's toned stomach from his broad shoulders.

That stuff doesn't _look_ safe for consumption, but he’ll be damned if he doesn't seriously consider going in for a taste.

“Shut up and come here you moron,” Pidge waves, dragging the taller paladin closer with a firm grip on his arm, “I wanted to know what you thought about placing a cloaking mechanism here..." She's pointing vaguely at the screen, knowing Lance can't help but try to get a better view by moving in even closer, brushing his legs along the older paladin's arm as he tries to get a better look at the screen.

Pidge turns to look at Shiro, “here,” she says, grin positively wicked, as she shifts her laptop further away from his view and drills Shiro with her gaze, “you’ve got to bend down.”

The black paladin is standing before Lance even has a chance to even think about crouching or sitting; screw not being awkward, he needs to beat a hasty retreat, and   _fast._ He’s up so hastily he nearly stumbles in the sand and starts to make a beeline for the crimson waves with a quick: “I’m going to go see what Keith is up to,” tossed over his shoulder; muscles taut as he stalks away awkwardly.

Teasing Shiro about his embarrassingly obvious crush on his younger friend is one thing, _tempting_ him is entirely different can of earthworms.

“Oh uh…okay...” Lance says, voice loud but uncertain enough for Shiro to hear it in his voice even as he throws himself into the sand next to her, “what's his problem?”

Shiro knows that smallest paladin is shrugging and smiling that one smile she has when she's being evasive, “I have no idea man.” 

The only _problem_ here is how badly he wants to fit his hands around the juts of the Latino boy's hips and dip his tongue into his belly button, tilt his head into the spot just above his collarbone and kiss away all the stray drops of water clinging to his body. Wants to kiss Lance until he's breathless from something other than just playing in the water, to understand what it feels like to have Lance laugh against his lips while he tries to kiss him, wants to know what Lance sounds like when drives him crazy, wants to see how far that inevitable tan line will extend once they're done here. He wants to…

Find Keith and pretend that he isn't having a little trouble walking properly.

Turns out Keith is no longer in the water, instead sitting at the edge of the waves, near Hunk’s large scale model sandcastle. He seems completely okay with just listening to Hunk as he keeps a running commentary on how he's going to make a sand version of a ship he helped rebuild back at the garrison. He’s smiling to himself, one of those rare tiny smiles that only comes out when he’s content, toes sinking delicately into the wet sand, squinting at the horizon as Hunk criticizes his sculpture before looking at Shiro with those wide eyes of his. Hunk pauses his monologue about the use of proper protection while dealing with hot machinery to welcome him with a wave.

“Not having a good time?” The red paladin questions as their leader sits next to him, weirdly colored eyes reflecting the sunset, his hair pulled back by a hair tie and headband (Lance had attacked him with the accessories earlier,) face fully visible and expressive now that all the strands are out of the way. His shorts are some dark shade of red, dyed that way by the water and sticky with sand that covered well over half his body.

Gazing at the other paladin, taking in his features, Shiro couldn't help thinking that Keith is just as attractive as Lance, and wonders why he isn't attracted to _him_ , “nothing like that, just...thinking about...stuff.”

Shiro _knows_ Keith, has known Keith for years; before his Kerberos Mission, they were inseparable back then and far closer than they had been with anyone else at the time. In all actuality he and Keith would be an amazing and logical choice for a couple, their dynamic, their understanding for each other, the way they don’t have to fill every silence with noise and chatter their...Never mind. He scrunches his nose up at the thought; he and Keith were like brothers and that is just extremely awkward. It's ironic how Shiro, who loved the quiet and peace was drawn to the loudest of the bunch.

Shiro shakes his head and fixes his eyes somewhere on the unusual horizon. Keith rests his hand on his shoulder and squeezes, no doubt misconstruing his thoughts.

“Is it about Lance?” Hunk asks, stage whisper carrying his voice, he pats a side of the sand castle with a chuckle and a shake of his head, “you'll be fine, he likes your hair and cute butt.”

“I'm...how did you, how _do_ you...I'm just going to pretend you didn't say that,” Shiro groans into his arms, ears hot and red, flush spreading near to his chest, “ _ever_.”

The yellow paladin laughs heartily, his round shoulders shaking the flower arrangement around his neck, before turning back to his sand masterpiece, while Keith just pats Shiro’s back like one would a startled cat, face devoid of any kind of mockery.

“You like Lance.” He says, more of a statement than a question, face holding no judgement. Not that Keith would ever judge him for his feelings but...this can't be happening right now.

“No,” he (not quite) pouts, “I do _not_ have a crush on Lance.”

The smile that stretches across the younger man’s face makes Shiro want to drown himself in the waves; just kill him, _oh man_ , he swears on the stars, _this is ridiculous_.

The red paladin grips his arm harder and nearly chokes on a badly concealed snort, “that's rough buddy.” It’s basically his way of singing “Shiro and Lance sitting in a tree,” and he knows that Keith knows it too.

“ _Not. Helping_.” He grits out.

Hunk laughs, Shiro groans again, Keith chuckles, and somewhere up behind them Lance’s laugh carries down to them, loud and boisterous and flawless. Shiro can't help but look at him, framed by the technicolor sky, grin broad, light, and perfect, and lets out a long suffering sigh.

Yeah, _rough,_ that’s exactly what this is.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Voltron fic, AO3 Fic, and Shance fic all rolled into one...and I'm an absolute wreck posting it. Leave a kudos and a comment if you'd like.
> 
> if you want to contact me my tumblr is: JoyouslyNeonLeon


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